Two thirds of Londoners concerned ULEZ expansion will hurt their personal finances

• 45% of Londoners polled said they won’t be able to afford to pay the £12.50 to drive in London’s expanded Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ)
• Only 25% of Londoners polled, are aware the expansion has been confirmed for August 2023 
• The cost-of-living crisis means two thirds of motorists can’t afford to switch to an electric vehicle or compliant petrol car

Research commissioned by used-car marketplace Motorway has revealed that nearly one third (31%) of Londoners plan to sell their vehicle in the next six months because of costs associated with the confirmed ULEZ expansion alongside the rising cost of living. 

Londoners are growing increasingly concerned about the expansion, with two thirds (67%) admitting they are worried about how it will affect their personal finances. Two thirds (65%) of those surveyed won’t be able to afford to switch to an electric vehicle or compliant car, before the zone is expanded. 

With the current cost of living crisis, 30% of Londoners would be more likely to sell their vehicle in the next six months, with many more set to follow suit. When asked about the reasons for selling their petrol or diesel car, over one third (37%) of Londoners said they would sell in order to buy an electric vehicle in light of the potential expansion of ULEZ.  However, due to the rising cost of living, many will be unable to afford to make this switch.

What’s more, the data reveals that three quarters (75%) of those in the capital are unaware the planned ULEZ expansion for August 2023 has now been confirmed.

While many people are not aware of the changes to come, since the zone expansion was announced, Motorway saw a 150% increase in car owners checking their vehicle’s ULEZ compliance in one weekend alone.

Alex Buttle, co-founder of used-car marketplace Motorway, said: “With the current cost of living crisis and the confirmed extension of London’s ULEZ in August 2023, more drivers who use the zone are questioning their current car ownership and driving habits. With big changes on the horizon, for any car owners affected, they can check their car’s compliance with Motorway’s ULEZ checker – and if they need to sell, we can help them get a great price.”

To value and sell your car, visit motorway.co.uk.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Research conducted in December 2022 by Censuswide with a sample of 1,000 British car owners aged 18+ from London and Greater London.

About Motorway

Motorway is the UK’s fastest-growing used car marketplace. We connect people selling their car directly with our network of more than 5,000 verified car dealers, matching each seller on our platform with the dealer who most wants to buy their car. We help car owners sell their cars 100% online for a great price in as little as 24 hours, with their car collected from home for free, while supporting our car dealer partners to easily acquire the best used car stock.